Packaged article assembly

ABSTRACT

A packaging assembly in which a frame partially overlaps a base member and is provided with sockets for the positioning of articles therein. A translucent thermoplastic foil overlies the frame and articles positioned therein and is secured to those portions of the base members not overlapped by the articles or by the frame.

United States Patent Berthold Stork Frankfurt am Main, Germany 827,407

May 23, 1969 Apr. 20, 197 1 Braun Aktienzesellschaft Frankfurt am Main, Germany May 24, 1968 Germany Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee Priority PACKAGED ARTICLE ASSEMBLY 8 Claims, 2 Drawing Figs.

US. Cl Int. Cl........ 865d 73/00 Field of Search 206/80, 80 (A), 78 (B), 78, 65 (S), 45.33; 53/22, (Skin Pack. Digest) [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,563,959 8/1951 Puckett 206/78(B) 2,861,405 1 l 1958 Hanford 53/22 2,876,899 3/1959 Maynard,.lr. 206/80(A) 2,984,056 5/1961 Scholl 206/80(A) 3,253,708 5/1966 Stoker, Jr. 206/80(A) 3,394,802 7/1968 Hershaft 206/78( B) Primary Examiner-William T. Dixson, Jr. Attorney-Michael S. Striker ABSTRACT: A packaging assembly in which a frame partially overlaps a base member and is provided with sockets for the positioning of articles therein. A translucent thermoplastic foil overlies the frame and articles positioned therein and is secured to those portions of the base members not overlapped by the articles or by the frame.

BACKGROUND OF THE lNVENTlON The present invention relates to a packaged article assembly especially adapted for the packaging of such articles as building blocks, experimental or of such articles a building blocks, experimental or replacement replacement parts and the like.

Hitherto such articles are offered to the customer in bags with the inherent disadvantage that the articles contained in the bag are neither neatly arranged nor visible so that the customer first has to sort out the various miscellaneous items to find what he is actually looking for. in addition, certain sensitive articles packed at random in a bag very often are bent or broken as a result of impact of one article against the other or as a result of lack of resiliency of the protective bag.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple yet efficient packaging assembly in which articles are neatly arranged and are securely held in position.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a display package for articles of miscellaneous type and sort.

Such a packaged article assembly according to the invention preferably comprises a substantially flat supporting member adapted to position a number of articles in spaced apart relationship on the supporting face thereof and a cover sheet adapted to be connected to the supporting member and to retain these articles in their arranged position thereon.

A feature of such a packaged article assembly is that the cover sheet is at least translucent so as to display the articles positioned on the supporting member.

Another feature of such a packaged article assembly comprises article labelling means provided on the supporting member so that upon removal of the cover sheet from the supporting member the labelling means remain intact.

Still another feature of such a packaged article assembly resides in the provision of frame means interposed between the supporting member and the cover sheet and which frame means is provided with socket means for snugly accommodating the articles retained on the supporting member.

A still further feature of such a packaged article assembly is that the supporting member and the cover sheet define a chamber which is sealed from the surrounding atmosphere.

The novel features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in particular in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its construction and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will be best understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

assembly according to the present invention; and

. lFllG. 2 is a side view of the packaging assembly of FIG. 11 i and illustrating the supporting member, the frame, the articles held in position on the frame and a cover sheet connecting the articles and frame to the supporting member.

PREFERRED EMBODlMENT OF THE lNVENTlON lFlG. l shows a substantially flat supporting panel or base member 5 having a supporting face on which articles T, 2, 3 and d are held in position by means of a cover sheet in the form of a translucent or transparent foil, hereinafter referred to as skin 7, skinned over the articles and connected to parts of the supporting face of member 5. skinning, in the sense of the present invention, is intended to denote a method in which articles are positioned in a given location on the supporting member whereupon a light transmitting, flexible foil, made of a synthetic thermoplastic material, is covered or skinned over the articles and, under vacuum, is fixedly secured to the supporting member so that the articles are firmly held in their respective position. The supporting member may for example be made of cardboard or the like, and may be formed with a thin connecting layer extending entirely over or covering part of its supporting face. This layer may for example be an adhesive layer to which the synthetic thermoplastic foil as such can be easily and firmly connected, or the layer may be nonadhesive in which case the foil may be heat welded thereto, or alternatively the foil itself may comprise an adhesive medium for connecting it to the supporting member.

The supporting member 5 may vary in size and shape depending on the overall dimensions of the article or articles to be packaged.

Generally, any type article may be packaged in accordance with the method of the present invention.

ln order to position the article or articles on the supporting member, they may either be mechanically fixed in place thereon before being sealed in by the thermoplastic foil or a positioning frame may be used which is to be interposed between the support member and the foil and which is provided with sockets in which the article or articles are to be snugly accommodated. These sockets may be arranged adjacent one another or disposed in spaced apart relationship and may be formed in the frame, for example, by stamping, pressing, and the like and may be formed with walls surrounding the sockets to better position and hold the articles in place. in addition, these sockets may be openings arranged so that the article disposed therein actually rests upon the supporting member while wholly or partially surrounded by the frame. Also, these sockets may either accommodate one item only or a number of these items or a plurality of different items, etc, whatever desired.

In addition, the supporting member on the frame, that is if a frame is used, has provisions to readily recognize and identify the items contained in the assembly. These provisions, in the form of imprints, are disposed adjacent each different item or a number of the same items, etc. and remain intact and readable even after removal of the skin or foil from the supporting member or frame. According to the invention this is accomplished by connecting the skin or foil to those parts of the supporting member or skin only which do not contain the imprints. For example in case no frame is used, the assembly is arranged so that preferably only the outer peripheral edges of the supporting member are adapted to connect the skin or foil so that the area inwards of these edges which contain the information are unattached. In case a frame is used, it is preferred that the latter only partially overlaps the supporting carrier. This is accomplished by cutouts in the frame as for example peripheral cutouts and cutouts adjacent the sockets for the articles. The skin or foil is to be connected to these cutout sections only, as a result of which the area of the frame which overlaps the supporting member is unattached and thus should contain the information.

It will be understood that in neither instance removal of the skin of foil causes destruction or removal of the imprint.

Returning now to FlG. l, the articles shown, as for example those denoted by the reference numeral 2, are in the form of a resistor 201, a woodscrew 202, anda metal screw 203, while numeral 1 may denote a rectangular building block, numeral 3 another rectangular part and numeral 4 a circular item. As explained before, these items may be arranged adjacent each other or disposed in spaced apart relationship. Formed in the frame 6 are sockets Ill-M, 21l4, 25 and 26. These sockets may be in the form of openings so that the articles positioned therein, with their lower ends, abut against and are supported by the supporting member 5 while the inner periphery of the sockets l, 2, 3 and d surrounds the articles sidewise, either tightly or loosely. Formed directly adjacent the sockets ll, 2, 3 and t in the frame, are cutout sections Its-4b, ZE-Zh, 311 and 411 which sections enable the skin 7 to be connected directly adjacent the respective articles. This connection may be accomplished by means of an adhesive disposed in those sections or by heat welding.

As shown, frame 6 only partially overlaps or covers the supporting member 5 in that the peripheral sections 50 remain exposed. These sections 50 again are provided with an adhesive disposed to connect the skin 7 to the supporting member. Altematingly the skin 7 may be heat welded to the sections 50. The frame 6 is further seen to comprise support sections 61-65 disposed to better position the frame on the supporting members. The free areas of the frame surrounding the sockets are particularly suitable to comprise imprints, e.g. information and directions regarding the articles.

FIG. 2 shows a cross-sectional view of the supporting member 5, the frame 6, the articles I and 3, and the skin 7. The skin 7 is covered over the articles and fomts an airtight seal with the supporting member 5 against the surrounding atmosphere. it is remarked that the skin 7 is scaled to the supporting member only at those sections which correspond with and are accessible via cutout sections in the frame, i.e. along the periphery and directly adjacent the articles.

Without further analysis, the foregoing will so fully reveal the gist of the present invention that others can by applying current knowledge readily adapt it for various applications without omitting features that, from the standpoint of prior art, fairly constitute essential characteristics of the generic or specific aspects of this invention and, therefore, such adaptations should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalence of the following claims.

What is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent is set forth in the appended claims.

lclaim:

l. A packaged article assembly, comprising, in combination, a supporting member having a supporting face; frame means on said supporting face and provided with a plurality of sockets; a plurality of articles arranged on said supporting face of said supporting member spaced from each other and each at least in part accommodated in one of said sockets; a cover sheet overlying said frame means and said articles; and securing means attaching said cover sheet to said supporting face of said supporting member at least adjacent to said articles and through at least some of said sockets in such a manner that said articles are maintained in their respective positions on said supporting member.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cover sheet is at least translucent.

3. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cover sheet is secured to said supporting face of said supporting member at least along opposite edges of said articles arranged on said supporting face of said supporting member.

4. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cover sheet is secured to said supporting face also along edge portions thereof.

5. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said frame means comprises a substantially flat panel and said sockets are openings extending through said panel.

6. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said frame means is separably accommodated between said supporting member and said cover sheet.

7. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said supporting member and said cover sheet define a chamber which is sealed from the surrounding atmosphere.

8. A packaged article assembly, comprising in combination, a supporting member having a supporting face; a plurality of articles arranged on said supporting face spaced from each other; a cover sheet overlying said supporting face and said articles; frame means removably received between said supporting face and cover sheet, said frame means having sockets which at least in part accommodate the respective articles and at least one side provided with information pertaining to said articles; and securing means attaching said cover sheet to said supporting face at least adjacent to said articles rn such a manner as to retain the same m their respective positions, and to permit removal of said frame means with said information intact upon at least partial destruction of said securing means. 

1. A packaged article assembly, comprising, in combination, a supporting member having a supporting face; frame means on said supporting face and provided with a plurality of sockets; a plurality of articles arranged on said supporting face of said supporting member spaced from each other and each at least in part accommodated in one of said sockets; a cover sheet overlying said frame means and said articles; and securing means attaching said cover sheet to said supporting face of said supporting member at least adjacent to said articles and through at least some of said sockets in such a manner that said articles are maintained in their respective positions on said supporting member.
 2. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cover sheet is at least translucent.
 3. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cover sheet is secured to said supporting face of said supporting member at least along opposite edges of said articles arranged on said supporting face of said supporting member.
 4. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said cover sheet is secured to said supporting face also along edge portions thereof.
 5. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said frame means compriSes a substantially flat panel and said sockets are openings extending through said panel.
 6. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said frame means is separably accommodated between said supporting member and said cover sheet.
 7. An assembly according to claim 1, wherein said supporting member and said cover sheet define a chamber which is sealed from the surrounding atmosphere.
 8. A packaged article assembly, comprising in combination, a supporting member having a supporting face; a plurality of articles arranged on said supporting face spaced from each other; a cover sheet overlying said supporting face and said articles; frame means removably received between said supporting face and cover sheet, said frame means having sockets which at least in part accommodate the respective articles and at least one side provided with information pertaining to said articles; and securing means attaching said cover sheet to said supporting face at least adjacent to said articles in such a manner as to retain the same in their respective positions, and to permit removal of said frame means with said information intact upon at least partial destruction of said securing means. 